


Balancing Act

by drQuinzel



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fix-It, Post-Game(s), Romance, the arasaka ending hurt so i made it hurt more before i fix it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:01:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28710876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drQuinzel/pseuds/drQuinzel
Summary: V went back to Night City while Goro went back to Arasaka and they thought that was it, they were never going to see each other again. But fate had a funny way of bringing them together once more.Post Arasaka ending where Goro and V were in a relationship during the events of the game.
Relationships: Goro Takemura & Female V, Goro Takemura/Female V, Goro Takemura/V
Comments: 36
Kudos: 111





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Arasaka ending hurt me so in this prologue, I let it hurt me some more by adding a dash of romance.
> 
> Yes I deleted the first "Balancing Act" fic. This is a new one with a new storyline that I felt more confident with.

Hurt. Betrayal. Heartbreak. These were the first words V thought of when Goro explained to her what her ‘options’ were after Arasaka basically failed to save her. She couldn’t even scream out her frustration, still too tired from her most recent lash out. So she sat on her bed, numb and lifeless with her head down, like she did the first time Vik told her about the relic. 

Ironic how she was doing the very same thing now that it was gone.

Goro moved away from the chair and got down on one knee in front of V, placing his finger on her chin so she could look up at him. He looked so sad, tired and desperate.

As if _he_ was the one who had 6 months of life left....

“V,” his voice was hoarse as he brought the datapad up with that horrible contract once more. “Arasaka does not break their promises. You will live, just join the program. Please.” the last word was a desperate plea, she could tell.

V gripped the edge of her bed tighter. “You know, Goro, you’ve told me to trust Arasaka in the past and look where that got me.” she still wanted to scream, to let _them_ know how angry she was. But she was just so tired… And why was it so damned cold? So damned quiet?

Goro then got up to sit beside her on the bed, and as much as she missed his presence, his touch, during her time on the eerie space station, she couldn’t bring herself to hold him just yet. 

The bodyguard took one of her hands and kissed each knuckle. “We have gone through so much already, V. I… I cannot lose you. If you cannot trust them, trust me instead.”

That’s when she lost it.

She pulled her hand away, glared at him and let out a dry laugh. “Don’t you get it? Trusting you _is_ trusting Arasaka.” She didn’t think she could find the will to stand upright just yet,.so instead she pushed away from him, the stupid contract that was on his lap clattering onto the floor. 

She continued, “Yes I helped Hanako fucking _Arasaka_ because you asked me to, because _I love you_.” she choked on the last part, somehow it hurt to say now, after what’s happened, after he gave her ‘options’.

But in heart she knew she still loved him and that wouldn’t change. Even when he looked her straight in the eye and told her Arasaka couldn’t save her. V wasn’t mad at him, she knew it wasn’t his fault.

It was the fact that Goro went back to a formerly dead Saburo and still thought he was the most brilliant man on the planet after the shit he pulled that pissed her off.

“V, I love you to-.” his voice brought her back to the present.

“I’m not done.” She hissed. Goro looked at her with those sad eyes and she wanted to both hug and shake him, tell him that he was a fool for going back to his master. “But, I also helped Hanako because I didn’t want the Aldecaldos, or Rogue, or anyone else to die for me. So ‘Saka was my best bet.”

She looked down at her right arm, where the _Johnny + V_ tattoo used to be. It still hurt V to know that Johnny hated her in the end for siding with the very people who caused all his misery. Though some part of her still hoped he understood why she chose the route she did. It wasn’t because she was ‘fucking a ‘Saka bodyguard’ as Johnny liked to call it when she first got together with Goro, but because it was the safest choice.

It was also _Arasaka killing Arasaka_ , she thought Johnny would love it! 

But in the end, the rocker was right, that apparently, they were gonna screw her over instead of helping her out.

Goro tried holding her hand again, this time slowly, and she let him. “I… I do not know what else to say. Just that, I don’t want you to die, V.”

“Then let me _live_.” V gripped his hand tight, looking him in the eyes, her own all dried up from crying so much already.

She placed her other hand on his cheek. “I can’t do this anymore, Goro. I can’t leave my life, or whatever’s fucking left of it, to the hands of Arasaka, to these… _doctors_.” She trembled as she remembered the woman who gave her the same tests day after day after day. It was pure hell. 

V sighed heavily before looking directly at him. “I’m going back to Earth.”

He placed his hand on top of hers and turned his head to kiss the inside of her wrist. It’s such a simple and sweet act that used to melt V on the spot, but now it just hurts knowing that was probably the last time he’d do that to her. “You know I cannot go with you. I have my duties here.”

 _To Arasaka. To Saburo-sama._ is what V knows is missing from that sentence. Which is why she didn’t ask, knew it was pointless to, anyway.

Didn’t mean it didn’t _absolutely suck_ any less, though.

V smiled sadly. “Wasn’t gonna ask you to… Knew you’d say no and I don’t wanna get my heart broken even more than it already is.”

He looked up at that and opened his mouth, wanting to say something. But he stopped himself at the last minute. They both knew nothing would change, that they were both just delaying the inevitable and that this wasn’t going to end with one of them happily joining the other. 

V took one long stare at the man in front of her, at the man she loved. She couldn’t even remember the precise moment she realized she was in love with him, only that at some point, Johnny appeared, said ‘ _Fuck, V. You’re actually into this ‘Saka scum, aren’t ya?_ ’ and she only told him to shut up and that Goro was a cool guy. She didn’t say anything about not being into him and that’s when it hit her. She was in love with Goro Takemura.

V long accepted the fact that getting into a relationship with him was as unlikely as Johnny talking without saying a swear word every two sentences.

So when that same Goro confessed that he had feelings for her as well, it was a pleasant and welcome surprise. They started seeing each other, _exploring_ each other’s bodies almost everyday... even when they both knew in the back of their minds how the relationship was a very _very_ bad idea that was only going to end in heartbreak.

And so it did. 

But V didn’t regret a single moment she spent with him. 

Stolen kisses in between missions, cheesy double entendre texts exchanged and a few dinners that were, as Goro liked saying, ‘adequate’. V had never felt so happy in her life.

A guard’s footsteps in the hallway outside brought V back into the sad present.

She let out a breath, slowly bringing the hand on Goro’s cheek back down to her side. V felt him hesitate to release his hold, until he finally did so, his touch lingering on her skin as much as it could. 

“I should go.” she said, barely audible.

Goro stared at her. “And I will not stop you. Though I still don’t understand-”

“ _Freedom_ , Goro. I wanna live my life the way I want to, while I still can.” V finally found the willpower to stand up. She felt dizzy for a moment from the sudden movement but was quick to regain her balance.

She looked down at the man she gave her heart to. “I don’t regret falling in love with you, I want you to know that. Goodbye, Goro. Take care of yourself.”

She noticed him bring his hand up a bit, as if he wanted to hold her one last time. But he brought it back down at the last second.

He stared up at her with those eyes she’d grown to love waking up to every morning, as he told her about all the places he’d bring her to in Japan once her ordeal was over.

It seemed so long ago now, or like it was all just a beautiful dream. 

“I hope you still find a cure, V. That you will not stop fighting. _I will hold you in my heart forever_.” The last part he said in Japanese and V felt her chest tighten. 

She grabbed her bag and headed for the hangar, never once looking back. Afraid that if she did, she’d see him and start breaking down.

Only once she was alone in the spacecraft that would bring her back to earth did she allow herself to cry, her heart absolutely shattered.

Little did she know that back in her room on the space station, Goro felt the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of feels were had as I listened to Never Fade Away while writing this...  
> First chapter should be up tomorrow or sometime this week <3
> 
> Also that "then let me live" line, i owe all to the mr. freeze dlc from arkham knight because oh gosh that was just so beautiful and i just NEEDED to incorporate it here.


	2. Late nights and reminiscing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 up already because I can't leave you hanging with just a prologue. Proofread only twice, you know, like the cool kids do.

It was nearing 10 in the evening already. Goro stood beside Arasaka-sama who was still in his office double, triple and quadruple checking all the reports he needed to go through before retiring for the rest of the night. The bodyguard didn’t mind, he was no stranger to working late. 

Ever since Arasaka-sama got a… _new_ _body_ , it was as if the emperor was more energized, like his cold and calculating personality now had the strength to match it. Brains and brawn now equal, so to speak. 

In what Goro refers to as Saburo’s ‘previous life’, when the emperor was much older, he was slower and struggled to continue late nights, his old bones simply requiring more rest.

Of course this was a weakness the Arasaka patriarch never showed, but Goro could always tell. In the past, when someone dared to talk back, or wasn’t doing their job right, Saburo would glare daggers at them that felt like they could manifest into actual blades and kill you on the spot. With only his intimidating presence and voice, that was all the old man could do.

But now with Yorinobu’s body, it was rare when a meeting didn’t end with someone thrown out of Arasaka-sama’s room by the man himself. Goro finally understood just how much of a soldier his master was. It was one thing to be strong, but the form and technique Saburo used with this new body, only a truly battle-hardened man with vast knowledge and experience could perform such moves. 

This whole arrangement still didn’t sit right with Goro, though. To him, his master died that night in Konpeki Plaza. He wasn’t sure what to think of the man currently using Yorinobu’s body.

So when Goro noticed the cold smiles Saburo started giving to people as he left most of them half dead and bleeding right outside of his office, the bodyguard no longer thought of the Arasaka patriarch as the master who once saved him from a life of surviving the streets of Chiba-11. 

No, Goro had mourned that man a long time ago... When _she_ handed him his master’s dog tags.

_You should keep them. No one’s gonna believe me anyway if I try and sell ‘em as the emperor’s actual dog tags._

“I will be here a little longer, Takemura.” His master’s voice shook Goro out of his thoughts. Thoughts of _her_. “You may go.” Arasaka-sama continued, not once looking up from his work.

Usually Goro would insist on staying by Saburo’s side until the Arasaka patriarch was finished with work.

But not this time.

“Very well. Have a good night, Arasaka-sama.” He bowed before walking out of the room, hopefully it didn’t look like he was trying to get out of there in a hurry. 

He _was_ but no one else needed to know that.

The two guards positioned outside of the office bowed towards Goro as well, and he barely remembered to acknowledge them, wanting to get away as quickly as possible.

The Arasaka complex in Tokyo was huge, with buildings and residences divided between each faction plus Saburo and his personal team. The Arasaka family members themselves each had their own homes inside the complex and naturally Goro’s apartment was situated not far from his master’s, simply one elevator ride away. 

And right now, Goro couldn’t wait to just cook up a late dinner then get some rest. 

But when he saw Oda standing by the elevator doors, he knew dinner had to wait a little while longer. 

The younger man bowed before addressing his mentor. “Takemura-san.” 

Goro bowed in return. “What is it, Oda?” he didn’t mean to sound rude, but it had been a rather long day.

Thankfully Oda didn’t seem to mind. “If you are about to retire for the night, please allow me to walk with you. We can talk on the way.”

“Very well.” If it meant getting to bed sooner, Goro didn’t mind at all.

As they waited for the elevator, a group of guards passed by the two, acknowledging their superiors before carrying on. Only after the patrol left did Oda speak up once more. “Arasaka-sama seems… different these days.”

A chime signalled the elevator’s arrival. The two stepped inside and Goro pushed the button that would lead to his floor before glaring at his junior. “Choose your next words carefully, Oda. Besides, your only concern should be Hanako-sama.”

“She is, Takemura-san. In fact, I am doing all I can to protect her from… new threats.”

Ever since the coup back in Night City, Goro and Oda rarely spoke to each other, the younger of the two still nursing his wounded pride from having been beaten by _her_. Goro immediately pushed the thought away, it was not the time to reminisce.

“And what exactly are these ‘new threats’ you speak of?” Goro asked as they got out of the elevator and continued walking.

Oda glanced to his left and right before looking back at Goro. “ _He_ has already killed one child. Who’s to say he won’t do it again?”

Goro knew he should’ve gotten mad at Oda, should’ve scolded him for disrespecting Arasaka-sama that way. One simply did not speak about the emperor like that.

But if Goro was being honest, he was relieved to know he was not alone in thinking this man was not the same Saburo Arasaka they all deeply respected. And the fact that it was Oda who felt this way meant Hanako-sama was possibly thinking the same.

So instead of berating his junior, Goro simply asked, “Have you shared your thoughts with anyone else?”

Oda shook his head. “Just you, Takemura-san.”

Another patrol passed by and the two both knew it meant the conversation had to come to an end.

Oda bowed. “Do what you will with what I have said, and be ready when the time comes. I will not keep you any longer. Have a good night, Takemura-san.” And just like that he was gone.

Knowing there was not much that could be done right now, Goro entered his apartment and shut the door behind him, storing this new information for what he had a feeling would be the very near future. In the back of his mind, he was already thinking about soldiers, factions, those loyal to Arasaka-sama, and those loyal to Hanako-sama. 

It unnerved Goro that it was very much like the last time they staged a coup in Arasaka.

Only this time, it was in Japan and they were without _her_.

The Arasaka bodyguard quickly made his way across the apartment and towards his kitchen. His own space was one of the best in the complex, some might even say that the only residences better than his were those of Saburo's and his daughter’s. It was spacious, with the interior composed mostly of sleek black and gray marble, and huge glass windows displaying the amazing view of Tokyo. 

His apartment was one of the things he missed after spending weeks jumping from one filthy motel room to another during most of his stay in Night City.

He didn’t have much in the way of decorations and furniture in general, but it was different with his kitchen, which was definitely the highlight of his apartment. A huge fridge filled with different fresh ingredients, cupboards stacked with various cooking equipment, a closet with his favorite wines, and a kitchen bar. 

Of course he kept the entire place immaculately clean, but the kitchen more so than anywhere else since that’s where he spent most of his time when he was off duty.

He was fixing up his onigiri when a memory resurfaced, one that he treasured so much.

* * *

_“Wakako assured me she got the ingredients fresh from Japan so...” V looked nervous as she placed a plate of what looked like decent onigiri before him. “If it isn’t good, kill her not me.”_

_They were at her new apartment, the one that she got from a rather really generous couple. Of course Goro teased her that she probably somehow stole the place or “forced” the former occupants out but V rolled her eyes and said they were her friends,_ thank you very much _, and they didn’t want it anymore. It was full of bugs, bad memories and their daughter didn’t want it either so she was their next choice. V assured him said bugs were all gone care of her friend Judy so he could ‘sit down, relax, and enjoy a place not riddled with_ actual _bugs and anything else unsanitary’._

_Goro sat by the dinner table and stared at the plate in front of him. He blinked and looked up at V. “You… you made this?” he asked incredulously._

_V blushed and Goro thought she looked absolutely adorable. “Yeah… I looked up a recipe on the Net and followed the video as well as I could.” She took a seat beside him and smiled sheepishly. “Enjoy!” she tried saying cheerfully but Goro could tell she was nervous._

_So he smiled back ressauringly, said_ Itadakimasu _, more to surprise V than anything else, and took a bite out of the onigiri._

_To be honest, it tasted horrible, the rice was too sticky, and the meat inside needed a little bit more time to cook._

_But the fact that it was V who prepared it, all for_ him _, made it one of the best meals he’s ever had in his life._

_Once he gobbled up that first bite, he turned and saw V staring at him expectantly. “So? You gonna throw the rest over the ledge? Say that it’s disrespectful to real Japanese food?” she asked, tapping her fingers on the table._

_He reached out to hold and steady her hand with his own. “It’s delicious, V.”_

_Instead of a blush like Goro was expecting, V actually narrowed her eyes at him. “No it isn’t.” She pulled her hand away from him, then brought the plate towards her. She took a bite of her own and made a face after just a few chews._

_“Goro, it’s so sticky! I think the meat’s kinda raw too.” she said, finding the nearest tissue and ‘depositing’ what was left of the onigiri she tried._

_V wiped her mouth and looked up at him, frowning. “You actually liked that?” she asked, suspicious._

_He decided not to tell her the exact reason why he enjoyed the food, instead he stood from his seat, pulling V up with him and kissed her._

_Once they were both out of breath, Goro smirked down at her. “It tastes fine to me. But next time, perhaps we can prepare it together, hmm?”_

_V wrapped her arms around his neck and tiptoed to whisper in his ear. “Cooking lessons later, bedroom now.”_

_Goro tightened his grip on her waist and couldn’t agree more._

* * *

The bodyguard sat down by the bar, comforted by the smell of his food and smiled sadly as he remembered how much it meant that V actually cooked something for him. The last person to do something like that was his grandmother, right before he left to train as an Arasaka soldier. 

So when V surprised him with food (his favorite, at that), he didn’t think it was possible to love her even more.

It had been more than 8 months now since he last saw her, since they said their goodbyes. Goro spent so many sleepless nights just thinking about her. Everyday he hoped she was ok, _alive_ , that she found a cure to something that would’ve killed her 2 months ago already from what the doctors at Arasaka predicted. 

He imagined V would probably be waking up right about now, or maybe even just coming home from a late night gig. 

Goro smiled as he remembered how on some occasions, she used to sneak into bed quietly so as to not wake him up. Of course being a bodyguard most of his life, the slightest sounds and movement were enough to bring him out of sleep. 

But he appreciated her efforts and humored her. That is until he felt her body sink into the bed, then he’d wrap his arms around her and whisper good morning.

If she were still alive, ( _she is,_ he kept telling himself), he wished for her to be surrounded by friends, by people she loved. Hopefully they didn’t shun her for the choices she made to save her life and to spare theirs. Goro knew that before they went to rescue Hanako, V and her friend Misty were not on good terms. He also hoped the two, ‘patched things up’, as they say. 

Goro finished his meal quickly, wanting to just go to bed and get some sleep. He cleaned up his plate, took a quick shower and made his way to his bedroom. 

Throughout all this, he still couldn’t get his mind off of _her_. Her laugh, her smile, her kindness, ferocity, and even her bad driving.

Try as much as he might to forget her, and he’s tried for months already, he knew that just wasn’t possible. 

Goro accepted that his heart belonged to V, and that didn’t change when she left him in the space station. It only made him realize all the more just how much the woman meant to him. The sadness from that day still made his heart ache for her.

All changed and ready for bed, Goro stared at his phone and, just like every other night since he got back to Tokyo from the Mikoshi space station, he pondered on contacting her.

And again, like every other time, he put his phone away, said a quick prayer to keep her safe, and got ready for another sleepless night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There ya go! Yes the apartment V has is the one of the Peralezes. I mean really, you did all that for them, the game lets you see their place a few times, they move out, and yet you don't get to keep it? Such a shame...  
> Thanks to everyone following this story <3


	3. All for family

A clean desk, a hot cup of herbal tea and a gorgeous view of Tokyo in the morning were what greeted Hanako Arasaka as she sat down in her office. Not one to waste time, she immediately opened up the messages on her computer and saw hundreds just waiting to be perused and approved by her. A lot of the emails were complaints made from her brother’s short stint as President & CEO of the Arasaka Corporation.

The incident in Night City happened quite some time ago already and yet she was still dealing with the aftermath by dealing with such things as fixing the company’s relationship with clients abroad.

Her brother was dead and his incompetence still followed her.

Hanako was reading an email and taking a sip of tea when her office’s double doors opened. She glanced away from her monitor to see it was Oda who entered. He bowed towards her and she tipped her head in greeting as well. 

Her bodyguard approached. “Hanako-sama, how are you faring this morning?” he asked, taking his usual spot beside her.

Hanako smirked, Oda asked that same question everyday, one of the things that kept her grounded despite all the changes the company had gone through in the span of less than 2 years. “I am fine, Oda-kun.”

He glanced towards the windows. “It seems as though we will have clear skies in the city for the first time in a while.”

Hanako nodded. “Yes, it has been rather dreary the past few days.” She took another sip of tea before turning towards her bodyguard once more.

“Have you eaten breakfast yet, Oda-san?” she asked suddenly.

Her bodyguard actually looked embarrassed. “Forgive me, Hanako-sama. I woke up rather late today and no longer had the time to.”

Hanako hummed and set her teacup down. “You may take it here then. I shall join you.”

“Ha-Hanako-sama?” Oda asked, clearly confused. She found it amusing that she could still surprise her usually calm and collected guardian.

“I am not meeting with anyone this morning so I planned to have breakfast in my office a bit later than usual. You have not eaten yet so I invited you.” Hanako explained, as if talking to a child.

Oda still looked so unnerved, however. “I- I appreciate it, Hanako-sama. But I do not think it is appropriate for me to-”

“So you wish to starve?” Hanako glared at Oda, wishing to tease him just a bit longer. “I would want my bodyguard to have all the energy he needs to perform his duties properly… But I will not force you either.” She swivelled her chair to face her computer once more and start replying to emails.

The only sound for a while was her typing on her keyboard before Oda sighed in defeat. “Your usual, Hanako-sama?”

“Yes, and ask the chef to make Eggs Benedict as well, please.” she said, a small smile gracing her lips as she watched Oda’s optics change to red, no doubt he was already contacting the staff to prepare their meals. 

It only took a few minutes before the food was brought to her room, elegantly presented, as well as a table and two chairs for her and Oda. 

As she sat across her bodyguard who looked at her gratefully for the meal, she decided to take this time to enjoy the peace and quiet the morning had to offer. 

“Were you up late watching BDs again, Oda-san?”

“Hanako-sama, I told you that was an accident!” 

Plus teasing her companion also never got old.

* * *

As much as Hanako loved working for the corporation, she still did her best to have personal time for herself by the end of a long work day. So as soon as the board meeting finished in the late afternoon, she quickly went through the day’s remaining reports in order to at least have her dinner at home before 7 in the evening. 

She was on the last report when she received a sudden call from her father. She connected the call to the holo on her desk, preparing herself for the abrupt meeting.

It was still unsettling to expect to see her father’s stern expression when what greeted her was her ( _ dead _ ) older brother’s face instead. Hanako didn’t think she’d ever get used to it.

She knew better than to let it show, though. 

Hanako bowed in greeting. “Good evening, father.”

“Hanako, how was the meeting?” he asked, his voice as commanding as ever even with Yorinobu’s body.

“Productive. I shall have the report sent to your desk by tomorrow morning.” Hopefully her father didn’t expect her to have it done that same night instead.

“Very well. Thank you, Hanako.”

She bowed once more. “Was that all, father?”

Saburo closed his eyes and sighed before turning back to his daughter. “Unfortunately, Hanako, there is the matter of an heir, now that your brother has…  _ sacrificed _ his life for the good of the corporation.”

Hanako took a deep breath, having expected this conversation to be brought up sooner or later. “Will you be marrying again? Surely you have the energy to produce another child.”

Saburo let out a dry laugh. “Even with Yorinobu’s rather strong sexual urges, I no longer wish to try again. Your mother is-  _ was _ very special to me.” There was a pause for a while. Saburo rarely talked about his late wife, Michiko, and though Hanako never got to know her mother, she knew the woman was very special to her father and brother.

Saburo cleared his throat before continuing. “No, I have something else in mind.”

Hanako clenched her fists, making sure her father could not see it. “And what would that be?” she asked, stalling for time.

“Hanako, you still haven’t chosen a proper suitor.” 

And there it was. 

Saburo continued. “I only excused your brother taking in as many whores as he did because I had thought one day he’d come back to us with a renewed sense of family, as you have told me time and time again.” Her father glared at her and she didn’t back down. She’s gotten used to him guilt tripping her over the ‘prodigal son’s return’.

But now Yorinobu was gone for good and Saburo was left without a male heir. 

Everyone knew Hanako was a brilliant woman capable of taking over the corporation herselt, but they also knew that Saburo never intended for her to succeed him. He still saw her as the kind-hearted little girl too soft for the harsh realities of running the company. 

Hanako hoped that now with Yorinobu gone and with her role in bringing back her father from the ‘grave’, Saburo would change his mind and welcome her into leading Arasaka with him.

But this conversation proved nothing changed.

“I am not interested in any of the suitors presented to me so far.” She said as politely as possible. She was still talking to her father, after all.

Saburo shook his head. “Hanako, you must think of our family’s legacy. Whether you are interested in them or not shouldn’t even be a concern anymore.”

“Why must I choose one now, then? Shouldn’t Yorinobu’s body keep you alive for many years still?” she asked, not wanting to back down.

“After what happened in Night City, I realized it is best to keep the family line going without much delay. We do not know when one of us will meet their untimely demise. Or in my case,  _ again _ .”

Hanako’s fingers dug into her skin from how tight her fist was. Something was still off. This was a conversation they had time and time again, yet this one felt much more urgent. “Father, please. What is it you’re not telling me?"

Saburo sighed once more. There was a pause where Hanako could feel her heart pounding faster. “You will marry someone suitable, produce a male heir and when they are of age, I will transfer my engram into them.”

Hanako’s blood ran cold. 

Only twice in her life did she ever beg her father for something. The first was when she was just a child and wanted nothing more than to spend her birthday weekend with her family complete and not constantly on their phones for work. The second was when she cried to her father to spare Yorinobu and welcome him back.

Fitting that the third time she begged would be because of a family matter again. 

“There must be another way.” She said, her voice starting to shake. “Perhaps Michiko? I’ll show her the list of suitors and we could offer her a higher position in the company in exchange. Or Hellman, he told me the cloning process should be in its next stage-”

“Hanako.” 

Her father  _ never _ said her name so harshly before.

She stared at the holo, at her brother’s image, cold and lifeless. Nothing like the caring older brother she loved. 

Saburo continued. “I love my family and I swear I will create a world where they are loved and worshipped in return. Which is why I must continue on, I must survive.  _ For you _ .”

She dreaded to ask, “And what of the child I am to have? Your  _ grandchild _ . Are they not considered your family as well?”

With a cruel voice she didn’t know her father was capable of, he answered, “A necessary sacrifice for the future, just like your brother.”

Hanako briefly remembered conversations with Yorinobu, back when he was still in a gang. How her older brother kept trying to warn her that their father was insane, that the company’s visions for the future did not justify the means.

All those years she thought Yorinobu was just rebelling when she should have opened her eyes to the truth long ago.

_ Forgive me,  _ nii-san. Hanako thought, briefly thinking about her brother’s last moments as he cried in her arms and she whispered that everything would be all right.

She looked back at the holo of Saburo and willed herself not to cry. She didn’t wish to shed tears for this man, it was better to think her father, her  _ real _ father, was with her mother and brother, watching over her now.

“Hanako,” Saburo said suddenly. “I know you have feelings for that bodyguard of yours,”

She was only half surprised that her father knew. “-so I thought it would hurt less to have a child with someone you have no interest in, rather than with the one you loved.”

Hanako wanted to scream at him. Instead, she replied coldly, “It would still be  _ my _ child to love either way.”

“...I am aware. I was simply giving you a choice.”

Hanako wanted to scoff. They were talking about an innocent child’s life here.

“I will have your assistants prepare a new list of suitors. I expect you to choose one by the end of the week, and we will plan your wedding ceremony soon after.” It sickened Hanako how casually he talked about it, like he was planning his grocery list and not his daughter’s life.

She narrowed her eyes, no longer concerned with looking polite. “If I were to still refuse?”

And the smile Saburo gave her was one that was going to haunt her forever. Her brother had never looked so cruelly at her before. And it hurt even more to know that it was her father behind that menacing grin. 

But it was his next words that truly made her shiver and her accept that the Saburo Arasaka she honored and loved was gone.

“Oda will die and Adam Smasher will be your new guardian.”

Hanako could only nod. 

“I understand, father.” she said, her mind still processing everything.

Then Saburo smiled kinder, as if he didn’t just threaten his daughter. “I am only doing what is best for you, Hanako.”

She would  _ not _ cry, but she would still try to plead. 

“Have I not proven myself capable of taking over the corporation?” she asked, letting out the emotion from years of trying to get his acknowledgement. “All that I have done, all that I have accomplished, I did to show you what I am capable of.”

Her father frowned. “I made it clear from the very beginning that you would never be burdened with this responsibility, and that hasn’t changed now.”

She would  _ not _ cry.

“Go get some rest, that report can wait. Good night, Hanako.”

It was only through years of training to be a refined lady did Hanako have the sense to bow towards the holo. “Good night, father.”

Once his image flickered away, Hanako dropped into her chair, still telling herself not to shed tears.

So she buried her head in her hands, let out a deep breath and asked for guidance from her family. She reached out to her mother, her brother, and her father. 

So many times did she wish they were just a regular family that lived regular lives like the families she would see walking down the streets from her office windows. Little girls and boys smiling as their parents walked with them, not having to worry about assassins, journalists or even a combination of the two.

Hanako raised her head and held the photo of a younger Saburo, Yorinobu and herself. It was her favorite picture of them and the one thing that kept her going all these years. Whenever she looked at the photo, it made her believe that they’d be a happy family again.

But Yorinobu was dead. And Hanako helped her father kill him. 

She knew then what she had to do to make amends. She allowed herself to shed a few tears to mourn the loss of her brother, her father, and a dream. She had failed them, but she swore she wouldn’t fail the future generations of the Arasaka. She owed it to them,and to the memory of her brother and father to not let go of what would always be important: family.

Hanako smiled sadly at the portrait, as if burning it into her mind. “I will protect our family’s past and our future. But I will do so in my own way.”

She placed the photo back in its place on the desk. And just like that, her eyes were dry, her lip no longer quivering and her face now a cold mask. It was time to be strong for what was to come.

Hanako called for Oda who was right outside her office before she took her father’s call.

“Hanako-sama?” the bodyguard asked once he entered the room, his brows furrowed in concern. No doubt he was worried that she took longer than expected to leave.

She leaned forward, hands clasped together. “I need you to find someone for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Goro / V here. Just pure Arasaka drama. I am in love with this family's amazingly written dynamic and so this chapter was really fun to write.


End file.
